Chinese units of measurement

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Chinese units of measurement (}}}; }}}; literally "market system") are the customary and traditional units of measure used in China. The units were standardized during the twentieth century to make them approximate SI units. Many of the units were formerly base-16. Hong Kong was outside the reform, and in now the traditional units are used alongside with metric units.

The Chinese name for most SI units is based on that of the closest traditional unit. When it is necessary to emphasize which system is used, the words "market" (市; shì) for traditional units or "common/standard" (公; gōng) for SI units may be added in front of the name. SI is the official system of units, but traditional units are still ubiquitously used in everyday life.

Note: The names li (厘) and fen (分) for small units are the same for length, area, and mass; however, they refer to different kinds of measurements.

Contents

1 History
2 Length

2.1 Hong Kong units

3 Area

3.1 Chinese square area

4 Volume
5 Mass

5.1 Hong Kong units
5.2 Hong Kong Troy units

6 Time
7 Reference
8 See also

History

According to Li Ji, the Yellow Emperor created the first measurement units. Xiao Erya and Kongzi jiayu state that length units were derived from the human body. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, these human body units caused inconsistency, and Yu the Great unified the length measurements. Rulers were unearthed in Shang Dynasty tombs, and the units were decimal.

However, in the Zhou Dynasty, the king confered nobles with powers of the state, and the measurement units began to be inconsistent from state and state. After the Warring States Period, Qin Shi Huang unified China, and later standardized measurement units. In the Han Dynasty, these measurements were still being used, and were documented systematically in the Book of Han.

Astronomical instruments show little change of the length of chi in the following centuries, since the calendar need to be consistent. It was not until the introduction of decimal units in the Ming Dynasty that the traditional system was revised. In 1928, the government of the Republic of China adopted the metric system as the official standard, but the government of the People's Republic of China resumed using the traditional system until 1984, when it adopted the SI system. The SI system became the national standard in 1987.

All "Metric values" given in the tables are exact unless otherwise specified by the approximation sign '~'.

Length

Table of length (modern Chinese) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
hu 忽 1/1000000 1/3 µm
si 丝 1/100000 3 1/3 µm
hao 毫 1/10000 33 1/3 µm
li 市厘 1/1000 1/3 mm
fen 市分 1/100 3 1/3 mm ~0.1312 in
cun 市寸 1/10 3 1/3 cm ~1.312 in
chi 市尺 1 33 1/3 cm ~1.094 ft Chinese foot
bu 步 5 1 2/3 m ~1.823 yd Chinese pace
zhang 市丈 10 3 1/3 m ~3.645 yd
yin 引 100 33 1/3 m ~36.45 yd
li 市里 1500 500 m ~546.8 yd this li is not the small li above,
which has a different character and tone

Table of length (modern Chinese) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
hu	忽	1/1000000	1/3 µm
si	丝	1/100000	3 1/3 µm
hao	毫	1/10000	33 1/3 µm
li	市厘	1/1000	1/3 mm
fen	市分	1/100	3 1/3 mm	~0.1312 in
cun	市寸	1/10	3 1/3 cm	~1.312 in
chi	市尺	1	33 1/3 cm	~1.094 ft	Chinese foot
bu	步	5	1 2/3 m	~1.823 yd	Chinese pace
zhang	市丈	10	3 1/3 m	~3.645 yd
yin	引	100	33 1/3 m	~36.45 yd
li	市里	1500	500 m	~546.8 yd	this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone

Hong Kong units

Table of length (Hong Kong) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
fan 分 1/100 ~3.715 mm ~0.1463 in
tsun 寸 1/10 ~3.715 cm ~1.463 in
chek 尺 1 ~37.15 cm ~1.219 ft Hong Kong foot
Exactly 0.371475 metres

Table of length (Hong Kong) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
fan	分	1/100	~3.715 mm	~0.1463 in
tsun	寸	1/10	~3.715 cm	~1.463 in
chek	尺	1	~37.15 cm	~1.219 ft	Hong Kong foot Exactly 0.371475 metres

Area

Table of area (modern Chinese) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
ping 坪 ~3.305 m²
li 市厘 1 6 2/3 m²
fen 市分 10 66 2/3 m² 10 li
mu 市亩,
畝 100 666 2/3 m² 10 fen
60 zhang²
qing 市顷 10,000 6 2/3 Ha 100 mu

Table of area (modern Chinese) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
ping	坪		~3.305 m²
li	市厘	1	6 2/3 m²
fen	市分	10	66 2/3 m²		10 li
mu	市亩, 畝	100	666 2/3 m²		10 fen 60 zhang²
qing	市顷	10,000	6 2/3 Ha		100 mu

Chinese square area

Table of area (modern Chinese square) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
fang cun 方寸 1/100 11 1/9 cm² 100 fen²
fang chi 方尺 1 1/9 m² 100 cun²
fang zhang 方丈 100 11 1/9 m² 100 chi²

Table of area (modern Chinese square) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
fang cun	方寸	1/100	11 1/9 cm²		100 fen²
fang chi	方尺	1	1/9 m²		100 cun²
fang zhang	方丈	100	11 1/9 m²		100 chi²

Volume

These units are used to measure cereal grains.

Table of volume (modern Chinese) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
cuo 撮 1 ml
shao 勺 10 cuo 10 ml
ge 合 10 shao 100 ml
sheng 市升 10 ge 1 l
dou 市斗 10 sheng 10 l
dan 市石 10 dou 100 l

Table of volume (modern Chinese) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
cuo	撮		1 ml
shao	勺	10 cuo	10 ml
ge	合	10 shao	100 ml
sheng	市升	10 ge	1 l
dou	市斗	10 sheng	10 l
dan	市石	10 dou	100 l

Mass

These units are used to measure the mass of objects. They are also famous for measuring monetary objects such as gold and silver. The decimal system has not been fully adopted by Chinese citizens.

Table of mass (modern Chinese) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
hu 忽 50 µg
si 絲 10 hu 500 µg
hao 毫 10 si 5 mg
li 市厘 10 hao 50 mg
fen 市分 10 li 500 mg ~0.2822 dr
qian 市钱 10 fen 5 g ~2.822 dr
liang 市两 10 qian 50 g ~1.764 oz Chinese ounce
jin 市斤 10 liang 500 g ~1.102 lb Chinese pound
formerly 16 liang = 1 jin
= 1 catty = 604.79 g
dan 市担 / 擔 100 jin 50 kg ~110.2 lb Chinese hundredweight

Table of mass (modern Chinese) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
hu	忽		50 µg
si	絲	10 hu	500 µg
hao	毫	10 si	5 mg
li	市厘	10 hao	50 mg
fen	市分	10 li	500 mg	~0.2822 dr
qian	市钱	10 fen	5 g	~2.822 dr
liang	市两	10 qian	50 g	~1.764 oz	Chinese ounce
jin	市斤	10 liang	500 g	~1.102 lb	Chinese pound formerly 16 liang = 1 jin = 1 catty = 604.79 g
dan	市担 / 擔	100 jin	50 kg	~110.2 lb	Chinese hundredweight

Hong Kong units

(Pronunciation information is in Jyutping.)

Table of mass (Hong Kong) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
candareen 分 (fen1) 1/10 mace ~378 mg ~0.2133 dr
mace 錢 (tsin2) 1/10 tael ~3.78 g ~2.133 dr
tael 兩 (leung5) 1/16 catty ~37.8 g ~1.333 oz Exactly 37.79936375 g
catty 斤 (gan1) ~604.8 g ~1.333 lb Exactly 0.60478982 kg
picul 担 (daam4) 100 catties ~60.48 kg ~133.3 lb

Table of mass (Hong Kong) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
candareen	分 (fen1)	1/10 mace	~378 mg	~0.2133 dr
mace	錢 (tsin2)	1/10 tael	~3.78 g	~2.133 dr
tael	兩 (leung5)	1/16 catty	~37.8 g	~1.333 oz	Exactly 37.79936375 g
catty	斤 (gan1)		~604.8 g	~1.333 lb	Exactly 0.60478982 kg
picul	担 (daam4)	100 catties	~60.48 kg	~133.3 lb

Hong Kong Troy units

These are used for trading precious metals such as gold and silver.

Table of mass (Hong Kong troy) units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
candareen troy 金衡分 1/10 mace troy ~374.3 mg ~0.2112 dr
mace troy 金衡錢 1/10 tael troy ~3.743 g ~2.112 dr
tael troy 金衡兩 ~37.43 g ~1.32 oz Exactly 37.429 grams

Table of mass (Hong Kong troy) units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
candareen troy	金衡分	1/10 mace troy	~374.3 mg	~0.2112 dr
mace troy	金衡錢	1/10 tael troy	~3.743 g	~2.112 dr
tael troy	金衡兩		~37.43 g	~1.32 oz	Exactly 37.429 grams

Time

Table of time units
Unit Hanzi Relative value Metric value Notes
miǎo 秒 1 second
old fēn 分 1/60 kè 15 seconds
fēn 分 1 minute
kè 刻 60 old fēn 15 minutes
xiǎoshí 小时 4 kè 1 hour
shíchén 时辰 8 kè 2 hours no longer in common use;
retains ceremonial and traditional usage
rì,
or tiān 日,
or 天 12 shíchén 24 hours

Table of time units
Unit	Hanzi	Relative value	Metric value	Notes
miǎo	秒		1 second
old fēn	分	1/60 kè	15 seconds
fēn	分		1 minute
kè	刻	60 old fēn	15 minutes
xiǎoshí	小时	4 kè	1 hour
shíchén	时辰	8 kè	2 hours	no longer in common use; retains ceremonial and traditional usage
rì, or tiān	日, or 天	12 shíchén	24 hours

Since 1645 (except for 1665–1669), the above equivalents have been true. Except for several short periods of a few years each, before 1645 (before the Qing dynasty) the following were true:

1 rì: = 12 shíchén = 100 kè, and
1 shíchén: = 8 1/3 kè = 8 kè 20 fēn.

Reference

[Hong Kong government definitions for Chinese units]

Chinese units of measurement

History

Length

Hong Kong units

Area

Chinese square area

Volume

Mass

Hong Kong units

Hong Kong Troy units

Time

Reference

See also